


Max Dies at the End

by sparkleguts (orphan_account)



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Other, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 03:00:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19736986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sparkleguts
Summary: "Last time we met you ruined my plans again! Last time, I was supposed to sacrifice you, then the counselors, and eventually the campers. But you had to mess it all up. Now, as much as id like to kill you myself, I've got a much better plan."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> very gory, very sad! youve been warned

Max's eyes jolted open with a start, the light emitting from the florescent bulb above him catching him off guard and leading on a small headache. He blinked sleep away as the scene around him came into view.   
At first he thought he was in the Mess Hall, from the look of the old wood logs that made up the walls, or maybe even the Counselor's Cabin. As he looked, he noticed greenery growing between the logs, totally unlike either of those places. Where was he? His first action was to try to get up and walk around, but he found that his hands were bound together behind the back of the chair he was in, and so were his feet.  
  
"Where... the hell am I?" he thought out loud. The building was quite small, holding the chair and a desk with a little walking room left over. He tugged his arms and legs apart in an attempt to untie or break the ropes, but it left his wrists and ankles slightly raw. He pushed down a feeling of dread after the futile attempt and called out.  
  
"Hello? Anyone there?"  
  
His heart dropped as the deadbolt on the door clicked open and a familiar blonde man walked in, slamming the door behind him. "Morning, Max!" he chirped out in his usual unnaturally cheery demeanor. The emerald-eyed boy stared up at Daniel, who towered over him due to his height.   
  
"D-Daniel? I thought we locked you up in Campbell's cellar! The hell are you doing here?" Max ignored his scared stutter, but who could blame him? After all, the last time he saw the cult leader, he'd snatched him up and held a dagger to his throat with the intent to kill.  
  
"Well, Max," he began, smiling as wide as ever,"Last time we met you ruined my plans _again_! Last time, I was supposed to sacrifice you, then the counselors, and eventually the campers. But you had to mess it all up. Now, as much as id like to kill you myself, I've got a much better plan."  
  
Max gripped the chair to prevent himself from shaking. "What would that be?" 

Daniel sat on top of the desk and let out a small chuckle. "I've been revising my sauna's method of brainwashing, and I found the perfect solution. Imagine," he stopped to snicker again, "Having no control over your actions, but still being completely conscious. Imagine being aware of what you're doing with no way to stop it."  
  
Max's eyes widened as he realized what he was getting at.  
  
"Imagine if _you_ killed them, Max. You can think as frantically as you want but you wont stop and no words will come out." Daniel stood up again. "Let's try it, shall we?" He finished the sentence off with a crack of the neck.  
  
"WAIT-" Max yelled as the man untied him, making sure to hold his arms so they still couldn't move. He threw the boy over his shoulder and walked out of the raggedy cabin. Max noticed the cabin was in another part of the woods. Was it the same woods as Camp Campbell? God, he hoped so. He yelled for help and squirmed around, once again to no avail. He winced as he was thrown into the back of Daniel's pure white car, immediately trying to reopen the car door. Child locked, of course.  
  
The car zoomed off, going way too fast for Max to just ditch the car even if he could. He held back tears of fear.   
  
He didn't know how many people Daniel's sauna was gonna make him murder, but he hoped it wasn't the whole camp. Hell, he hoped it wasn't anybody. As much as he hated David's cheery attitude, he treated him like family, more so than his own. Same thing with Gwen. She was also just generally cool, even if she did read trash magazines. The thought of them dying made Max start trembling again. What if he ended up killing Nikki and Neil? Or the entire camp? Whatever it was, Daniel had implied that Max would be killing himself after the deed was done.

The car screeched to a halt, and wordlessly Daniel threw Max over his shoulder again, walked over to a newer, shiner model of the sauna from last time, and threw him in. He completely ignored the boy's pleas and screams.  
  
Max stared at the closed metal door as steam poured into the room and whispering filled his ears. He hunched over and stared at the metal floor, seeing droplets hit it. Was he crying? Before he could stop himself he started sobbing. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to go back to the camp and see David and Gwen. They'd know what to do. Outside of the little porthole window, he noticed the sun had fully risen. Were they looking for him? Surely they were. He wished he could tell them to run and hide.  
  
A static noise pierced his hearing and he yelped, falling onto his side and seeing black fade at the end of his vision. He felt like he was dying. Suddenly, he stood up. Completely against his will. Panic rampaged his mind. Strangely enough, he could still feel tears running from his eyes. He felt his face plaster itself into a wide smile as the door opened. Daniel was standing right in front of the door, the same grin perfectly intact on his pale face.  
  
"Awh, Max. You're crying, how sad. Too bad this process is almost irreversible!"  
  
Max had half a mind to beat the shit out of the tall man, but instead he spoke. Once again, completely against his will. "It's okay, Daniel! I am perfectly happy now!" Daniel's expression changed from happy to smug as he replied, "That's _so good_ to hear!" Max felt a fresh wave of fear shock him as he handed the boy his trademark dagger. "Now, Max, its time to kill the counselors! Remember to get the witnesses as well!" Max nodded and vanished into the woods. He noticed his sleeves were still blue, meaning the only thing that would set anything off is his wet face. They wouldn't know he was brainwashed.  
  
He felt like dying when he heard a familiar voice calling him.  
  
"Max! Where have you run off to?" David's concerned voice rang out through the woods. Was he really that close to camp? Then again, he'd been running pretty fast. He hid the knife in his hoodie pocket and walked onto the dirt path. "Oh, Max! There you are! I was worried sick about you!" He paused for a spell, "Why are you crying? What happened?" He picked Max up. "Let's get you back to camp." David cared if he was okay and he was about to kill him. He wanted to shut his eyes when David started walking towards the Counselor's Cabin, but he couldn't blink. In fact, he hadn't this whole time and his eyes hurt.  
  
The red-haired man sat him down on his bed and bent down so that they were face level with each other. "I'm going to ask you again, Max, what happened to you? You never cry." Max wondered why he didn't ask about the smile, but realized he wasn't smiling anymore. He had a slight frown, like always. When he did speak, it sounded not artificial and completely like he always sounds. Daniel had brainwashed Max in a way that made him believable.  
  
"Nothing. Just tripped is all" Brainwashed Max replied. "Really? Because you're crying a lot." David asked concernedly.   
"Yeah, might be allergies too." He lied again. David nodded and smiled again. "Oh, that's probably it! I've got medicine in my drawers that you can take to help!" Cheerfully, he went over to his desk and squatted down to dig through his bottom drawer. Max felt like hurling as he felt himself stand up without his command and reached into his hoodie pocket to retrieve the knife. He made his way over to David.

"Hey, Max, I found tissues if you need them!" He called over his shoulder without looking up. Max screamed internally when he felt himself lunge at the tall man, resulting in a startled scream, followed by a yelp as the knife plunged into his back and yanked back out. He stumbled and rolled over, sitting up against the desk and scrambling back, wide eyed, tears of pain welling up. "Max!" He yelped again when he saw the kid standing with the bloodied knife, a little splattered on his trademark blue hoodie and the floor.   
  
Max didn't want this. Loads of hot tears streamed down his face and David looked at his wild eyes. Max internally wailed as he felt himself plunge the knife into the tall man's stomach, again and again, until his screams of agony died down to just a whimper, then to nothing. He stepped back to look at him.  
  
He was slumped over, blood trickling from his nose and streaming from his mouth. His green shirt was stained so red in the middle that you could barely make out the pine tree on it. His green eyes were half closed and staring into nothing and a sticky puddle formed beneath him.   
  
David was dead and Max killed him. Inside his head, Max yelled and screamed and cried. David was so concerned about him just a few minutes ago, Max would go as far as say he loved him like a dad loves a son. And he killed him.

Outside, he heard footsteps running towards the door. Quickly and absentmindedly, he slid the knife into his pocket again and laid in the puddle of David's blood. Max realized he was trying to pretend he'd been killed too. He shut his eyes and rolled onto his side, facing towards the bed and away from the door as it swing open.  
  
"Why the fuck are you screaming so much-" Gwen cut herself off with a gasp and ran inside, slamming the door behind her and kneeling down to the floor by David and Max. "David!" She shook his arm and lightly smacked him on the face in an attempt to get him to wake up. When that didn't work, she switched over to Max. "Max, wake up. Please," she rolled him into her lap and hugged him close, letting tears fall onto his blood-soaked hoodie. Her hugs are nice, Max thought, she really does love them. He realized he'd been holding his breath. God, his chest burned. She paused when she saw him crying too. "Max! Oh thank sweet baby Jesus you're alive! Don't worry, i'm calling an ambulance. You're going to be okay." She sounded relieved. He felt himself be put down gently as Gwen sat him down and reached out her phone. "Shit, no signal." She stood up, waving her phone around the air to get a bar.  
  
She turned to the door in her attempts, and Max felt himself stand, blood dripping from his hands. He walked behind her as she turned around.  
"Max?" she sounded confused. There was a lot of blood, there's no way he's okay, she thought to herself, Unless it was a prank... She smiled softly and ran to hug him. "Don't ever joke like that again!" she scolded him then walked over to David to scold him, too. She thought it was uncharacteristic of him to play a prank like this, but determined that must be the case. "David, get up. You're not funny."  
  
No response. "David, I know you're joking." she bent down to look at his face. "David?" She reached out to touch his cheek, and gasped when she realized he was cold. "David!"  
"Max, take my phone and call an ambulance!" She reached out to hand him her phone, but he didn't take it. She turned around. "Max!" Her color drained when she saw him pull out Daniel's trademark dagger. She remembered it from David's description of last time Daniel showed up at camp. The story clicked in her head.  
  
"Max, put the knife down. I know Daniel did something to make you do this. You wouldn't do it on your own. I _know_ you don't want this. Can you even hear me?" Max thanked the stars that she had caught on. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said against his will. He paced towards her and lunged, the dagger tearing the flesh on her throat. Internally, Max wanted to vomit at the sickening sound of her choking on her own blood. After what seemed like forever, she finally passed. Max had to watch every second of it, too.   
  
He choked and waited for him to stab himself with the knife. After all, that's what was supposed to happen. But it didn't. Instead, he took off his bloodstained jacket and tossed it aside, leaving the bright, unstained yellow shirt behind. His jeans had soaked up the blood and it wasn't noticeable. He slid the knife under his shirt, concealing it with folded arms. He went under David's bed and stole one of the water bottles from his stash, then poured it over his arms and face to get the blood off. When he was clean, he walked outside like nothing happened. He needed to get his back up hoodie from the tent, he realized internally. He still couldn't get the memory of killing David and Gwen a few moments ago, right after they'd worried so much about him.   
  
As he was walking to the tent, he heard Nikki run over to him. "There you are, Max! I barely recognized you without your jacket," she giggled. "I'm getting mine from my tent. Wanna come with?" Max's stomach dropped when she nodded and followed him to the beige abode. Neil was sitting on his cot, reading a book. Max walked over to his suitcase and pulled on his other hoodie, discreetly sliding the bloodied knife into the pocket again. "Today we're supposed to do swim camp, whenever David decides to start." Nikki said gleefully. Max felt his heart twist, and tears slipped out again. "Why are you crying?" She asked, making Neil look up from his book. "Allergies."   
  
"Oh, okay. That makes sense," She said. "I'm gonna change into my swimsuit, see you in a second!" She dashed out of the tent. Max turned his head to Neil, who had laid down on his cot with his book. Max walked over to him and looked down at him.   
  
"Uh, hi." he said awkwardly. He sat up and sat down his book. Max didn't say anything, and Neil just kinda looked at him. "Do you... want something or..." He began, getting cut off before the emerald-eyed boy slammed his hand over the other's mouth and plunged the knife into his chest, making him make a muffled scream behind the hand. Max's mind swam as he felt the knife slice through the skin and organs. The other boy fainted, choking on his own blood as his breath shallowed. Max felt sick to his stomach when Nikki reappeared with a cheerful "I'm back!" She looked in shock at Max, who still had a knife in hand and blood up his arm. Nikki hunched over and growled like a wolf. She jumped at Max, biting his arm and screaming at him, tears falling from her pink eyes.   
  
Max snatched the knife from Neil's chest as he fell, Nikki not seeing it. She was too focused on scratching at his face. He jabbed the knife into her stomach, and she yelped like a hurt dog. She whimpered in pain as she rolled off of him, gripping her stomach. "...Owowhh..." she cried in agony as he brought the knife down into her skull, cutting off her life. Max felt horrible, after all he did just kill everyone he loved and it was completely out of his control. On the outside, however, he showed no emotion. He tied the hoodie around his waist to cover up the bloodstain, keeping the knife in the pocket.   
  
He walked over to the camp area, where the camp stands were and where Nerris' cardboard castle stood. Speaking of, Harrison zoomed past him, Nerris right behind him with a cardboard sword. They were both laughing. Looking around, everyone was enjoying themselves. Nerris walked back to the area, giggling, then stopped to look at Max. "Oh hey Max! D'ya know where Nikki could be? We're supposed to adventure today," She asked happily. Max smiled. He didn't like that he was smiling. "She was in my tent the last time I saw her." he replied. Nerris spoke her thanks and dashed off in that direction, Max following behind.   
  
He heard Nerris yell in shock when she walked into the tent, not expecting the blade that went through her back and peeked out of her stomach. When the knife was removed, blood sprayed everywhere. She dropped to the floor. Max kicked her into the tent carelessly. He was disgusted at how heartless his purified half was. He turned his head to see Harrison staring in shock at him from around the corner of the Mess Hall. He furrowed his brow and said something to himself. Max felt a familiar burning in his stomach. A rope of handkerchiefs came from his throat. He wanted to scream as his brainwashed part ripped it from his insides. It burned so fucking bad.   
  
Max ran at high speeds at the magic camp camper and tackled him before he could get away, stomping on his back as he used the handkerchiefs to choke the air out of him. Unfortunately, everyone was away from this area. At this point, Max wanted the rest of the campers to apprehend him. It would stop him from doing this again. He dragged Harrison behind the Mess Hall and tossed him into the bushes. He stumbled up the hill, back to where the tents were. Standing in the opening of his tent was Preston, biting his nail and crying a waterfall. He had his cellphone up to his ear and was, presumably, calling the authorities. When he saw Max, his eyes widened and he dropped his phone.  
  
He ran away, screaming. Max felt himself use all of his remaining energy to chase him. He was fast, but brainwashed Max was faster. He grabbed the boy by his frilly collar and plunged the knife into his head. The rest of the murders blended together.  
  
He slammed Space Kid's helmet onto his head.  
  
He drowned Erid, who was sneaking in the lake before it was time.  
  
He snapped Dolph's neck with a rock.  
  
And he gutted Nurf.  
  
He felt an immense hatred for himself, but more so for Daniel. It was his fault all of Max's friends were dead. Max felt a sharp pain when he saw himself slice into his chest.   
  
Suddenly, he felt a shock. He could move his body willingly now. He could scream in misery and he did. The following silence was more painful than the wound in his chest. He collapsed from the pain and went into the fetal position, gripping his own chest and sobbing. He screamed again, louder now, making his chest heave in pain. He stretched out and dragged himself over in the direction of the Counselor's Cabin, leaving dirt in his wound and a blood trail on the ground. It hurt to move.  
  
He got to the door, reaching up to open it. He dragged himself to where David and Gwen's bodies lay and leaned against David, gripping Gwen's hand and wrapping his other arm around David's. He choked as he felt how cold they were, and how much they loved him. He closed his eyes as police sirens wailed in the distance.  
  
"I love you guys." he whispered, letting himself breathe one last time.   
  



	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sad hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle up kiddos

Max's eyes fluttered open, letting him see the wood grain floor he lay on. He coughed a little as he stood up. He was in the Counselor's Cabin, he gripped his stomach as he remembered the scene that unfolded here yesterday. Or maybe it was days ago, he really couldn't tell. There were no bodies or blood, he realized, smiling widely as he came to the conclusion that it was all a dream. Where were David and Gwen? He'd have to be _extra_ nice to everyone today.  
He stood up and busted open the thin wood door to the cabin.  
  
He smiled when he saw David, Gwen, and all of the campers near the camp fire. Walking up to David, he tugged on his shirt. David turned and jumped, backing away from the small boy, fear making his eyes sparkle. "David? What's got you all fucked up?" he asked jokingly, causing all of the camper's eyes to zip over to him, startled and angry looks glistening. Nikki's unmistakable magenta eyes held pure rage as she stomped over to him.  
  
"Max, what the _fuck????_ " she yelled. He acted confused and asked what she meant. "YOU MURDERED ALL OF US!" She yelled, the pain tightening her voice.   
"Haha, that's funny. You're all right here." he was terrified,"w-why would I-"  
  
He looked at the group of people in front of him. The look that scared him the most was David's, which was scared. Pure fear. No love like there'd always been or even joy. It made Max shiver. "Gu-Guys, listen, I can explain, remember that-"  
  
"We don't want to hear it, Max!" Preston's dramatic voice rang across the field. It's only when he stood against the bright blue sky that he noticed that he, and everyone else, was translucent. "You know how badly that day fried my nerves?" He spat coldly. Max looked around until he spotted Gwen, who was leaning against a tree a little ways away. He looked back over at the group of kids. He rested his eyes on each person momentarily, each of them looking hurt.  
  
Harrison rubbed at his throat, which was slightly red. Nerris held her arm around her torso, etc. Each of them probably had their own painful reminders. Max gulped and looked down his shirt at his chest, which had a sore scar all the way across it. It was tender, so he could only imagine what someone like Nurf has. Or David. Max remembered stabbing him repeatedly until he died. When he looked back at David, who was clearly trying not to cry, he bawled and fell to the ground.   
  
He wanted to be embarrassed, but he didn't have the strength to. "I-I'm s-s-so-sorry-y " He choked between loud sobs. He was there, with everyone. They hated him. Even David. It's not like he wasn't used to parental figures hating him but this felt different. He heard familiar footsteps approach and he was lifted up and held close to someone. The hug felt familiar but at the moment he didn't care why. He gripped the short sleeve and hugged the figure back.  
  
"Guys, come on, listen to him. He really didn't have control over himself." Gwen's assertive voice said sternly. "He was brainwashed. Clearly. Since when would Max ever kill anyone?" Max couldn't see but he could feel the energy become warmer. "Hell, you guys were there. You didn't recognize that knife at all?" Harrison spoke up, "Some of us weren't stabbed. Some of us were strangled." Max winced at the harsh words and choked again. "Once again, you know Daniel. Did he or did he not try to kill everyone countless times?"  
  
Silence filled the air.   
  
Gwen wordlessly walked to the Cabin where she'd bled out before and sat Max down on her bed. She wrapped her blanket around him and sat across from him in a little wooden desk chair.  
  
"Now tell me, Max, everything that happened."  
  
He told his whole story, sometimes shivering and even breaking down a few times. Afterwards, the woman stood up and walked out. "Stay in here, I need some words alone."  
He sat in that room for forever, wrapped up in the blankets and staring at the floor by the beds. He'd died there. His chest heaved as he remembered dying right by the two Counselors.  
  
The door creaked open, and a tall red haired man stepped in, tears streaking his face. Wordlessly, he suddenly and tightly hugged the emerald eyed boy. Max smiled and hugged him back. He only had one thing to say after minutes of silence.  
  
"We forgive you, Max."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this is really,, short?? but i wanted to lighten the mood a bit from last chapter.


End file.
